Jess Fishlock facts for kids
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Fishlock with the Seattle Reign in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jessica Anne Fishlock | ||
| Date of birth | 14 January 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Seattle Reign FC | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cardiff City | |||
| Newport Strikers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2007 | Cardiff City | ||
| 2007–2008 | Bristol Academy | ||
| 2008–2010 | AZ | 31 | (6) |
| 2011–2012 | Bristol Academy | 26 | (7) |
| 2012–2013 | Melbourne Victory | 18 | (5) |
| 2013– | Seattle Reign FC | 217 | (43) |
| 2013 | → Glasgow City FC (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | → Melbourne Victory (loan) | 17 | (5) |
| 2014–2015 | → FFC Frankfurt (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2015–2018 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 38 | (17) |
| 2018–2019 | → Olympique Lyonnais (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | → Reading (loan) | 19 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| Wales U19 | |||
| 2006– | Wales | 164 | (48) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012 | Cardiff City Ladies (player-coach) | ||
| 2015–2016 | Melbourne City (player-assistant coach) | ||
| 2017 | Melbourne City (player-head coach) | ||
| 2017–2018 | Melbourne City (player-assistant coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 July 2025 |
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Jessica Anne Fishlock is a Welsh professional footballer and coach. She was born on January 14, 1987. Jess plays as a midfielder for Seattle Reign FC and the Wales national team. She is known for being Wales’s all-time record goal scorer.
Jess has played for many top clubs around the world. These include Bristol Academy in England, AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, and teams in Australia and Germany. She has won many championships and awards throughout her career. Jess was named Welsh Footballer of the Year five times. In 2021, she won the NWSL Most Valuable Player award.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Jess Fishlock was born in Cardiff, Wales. She started playing football with her sister when she was very young. At age 7, she joined Cardiff City Ladies F.C.. Later, she also played for Newport Strikers.
Club Football Journey
Playing for Cardiff City
Jess began her senior career at Cardiff City Ladies F.C. when she was 16. In her first season, she scored 19 goals in 23 games. Her captain, Laura McAllister, said Jess was a "fabulous player" with amazing skills. At 16, she helped her team win the 2004–05 SW Combination League Championship. They also won the Welsh Cup, which led them to the UEFA Women's Cup. Jess remained the club's top goal scorer for many years.
Playing in the Netherlands
In 2008, Jess joined AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. She was the first international player in the Dutch Eredivisie league. Jess helped AZ Alkmaar win two league titles in a row, in 2008–09 and 2009–10.
Time at Bristol Academy
In 2011, Jess moved to Bristol in England's FA Women's Super League (FA WSL). Bristol did very well, finishing high in the league. They also reached the FA Cup Final. Jess won several awards at Bristol, including Club Player of the Year and Fans Player of the Year. She was also named Welsh Women's Footballer of the Year in 2011.
Playing in Australia
In 2012, Jess joined Melbourne Victory in Australia for a short time. She quickly became a fan favorite. She scored a winning goal against Canberra United, helping Melbourne reach their first ever Grand Final.
Jess returned to Melbourne Victory in 2013. She helped the team win their first Grand Final title by beating Brisbane Roar 2–0. Jess was named the Most Valuable Player of that match.
Seattle Reign FC: A Long Career
In 2013, Jess joined Seattle Reign FC for the first season of the NWSL in the USA. She quickly became a key player. She scored her first goal in front of a huge crowd of over 16,000 fans. The media named her NWSL Player of the Week early in the season.
In 2014, Jess helped the Reign have an amazing season. They went 16 games without losing and won the NWSL Shield for the first time. Jess was named to the league's Best XI team. She scored four goals and made eight assists that season.
In 2015, the Reign won the NWSL Shield again. Jess scored important goals and was named NWSL Player of the Week. She was also named to the NWSL Best XI team again.
Loan Spells Abroad
Glasgow City Loan
In 2013, Jess joined Glasgow City in Scotland on loan. She helped them win the Scottish Women's Premier League and the Scottish Women's Cup. She also played in the 2013–14 UEFA Women's Champions League, helping the team reach the quarter-finals.
FFC Frankfurt Loan
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Jess played for FFC Frankfurt in Germany during the 2014–15 off-season. She was a very important part of the team. Frankfurt won the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League. Even though Jess returned to Seattle before the final game, her contributions helped the team win. She received a UEFA Women's Champions League medal.
Melbourne City Loan
Jess played for Melbourne City FC in Australia for three seasons (2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18). She helped the team win three championships in a row. In their first season, she helped them win both the Premiership and Championship. She was also a player-assistant coach during this time.
Reading Loan
In 2020, Jess joined Reading Women in England on loan. She scored two goals in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion, helping Reading win 3–1.
International Career for Wales
Jess made her debut for the Wales U-19 national team at age 16. In 2006, she played her first game for the senior national team. She captained the senior team from 2012 to 2015.
On April 5, 2017, Jess became the first Welsh player to play 100 games for the national team. On April 9, 2024, she reached 150 caps, becoming the most capped player for Wales.
On July 14, 2024, Jess scored her 45th goal for Wales, becoming the Welsh national team's all-time record goal scorer. She passed Helen Ward, who held the previous record. As of July 2025, she has 48 goals.
In June 2025, Jess was part of Wales' squad for their first major international tournament, UEFA Women's Euro 2025. She scored Wales' first ever goal at a major tournament during a game against France. This made her the oldest goalscorer in European Championship history.
Coaching Roles
In 2012, Jess was a first team coach for her former club, Cardiff City Ladies FC.
At Melbourne City FC, she was a player-assistant coach from 2015 to 2016. Midway through the 2016–17 season, she became the player-head coach. In February 2017, she led Melbourne City to win their second championship in a row. She scored a goal in the final game. This made her the first player-coach to win the league title in the W-League's history. She returned as a player-assistant coach for the 2017–18 season.
Personal Life and Other Work
Jess has written columns for BBC Sport. She has spoken about the importance of fairness and acceptance for all people in sports. She supported organizations like Athlete Ally and Stonewall, which work for inclusion.
In 2016, Jess appeared in an advertisement for Adidas.
In 2018, Jess was awarded an MBE for her contributions to women's football and for promoting fairness and acceptance for everyone. She received her award at Buckingham Palace.
In December 2023, Jess married fellow Seattle Reign FC player Tziarra King in Wales.
Honours
Player
AZ Alkmaar
- Eredivisie: 2008–09, 2009–10
Bristol Academy
- FA Cup runner-up: 2010–11
Melbourne Victory
- W-League Championship: 2013–14; runner-up: 2012–13
- W-League Premiership: 2013–14
Seattle Reign FC
- NWSL Shield: 2014, 2015, 2022
- NWSL Championship runner-up: 2014, 2015, 2023
- The Women's Cup: 2022
FFC Frankfurt
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2014–15
Melbourne City
- W-League Championship: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- W-League Premiership: 2015–16
Lyon
- Division 1 Féminine: 2018–19
- Coupe de France: 2018–19
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2018–19
Individual
- FA WSL Club Player of the Year: 2011
- FA WSL Fans Player of the Year: 2011, 2012
- FA WSL Club Players' Player of the Year: 2012
- FA WSL Players' Player of the Year: 2012
- NWSL Most Valuable Player: 2021
- NWSL Best XI: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021
- NWSL Second XI: 2016
- NWSL Team of the Month: 2x 2017
- NWSL Player of the Week: 2013, 2015, 2x 2017)
- W-League Best XI: 2012
- W-League Grand Final: Player of the Match: 2013 & 2017
- W-League League Players Player of the Year: 2013
- W-League Club Players Player of the Year: 2013
- Welsh Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018
Manager
Melbourne City
- W-League Championship: 2016–17
See also
In Spanish: Jess Fishlock para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
- List of Melbourne Victory FC (A-League Women) players
- List of foreign W-League (Australia) players
- W-League records and statistics
- List of foreign NWSL players
- List of sportswomen
